Antaisaka people
Encyclopedia
Antaisaka are an ethnic group of Madagascar
living on the south-eastern coast.
The Antaisaka speak a dialect of the Malagasy language
, which is a branch of the Malayo-polynesian language group
derived from the Barito languages
, spoken in southern Borneo
.
Their name means "people of the Sakalava
," an ethnic group inhabiting the western coastal plains of Madagascar
. They migrated to their current location from the west and the purported forefather of Antaisaka, Andriamandresy, is said to have been a Sakalava.
In the Antaisaka culture, it is taboo
for men to harvest rice, which is a women's duty. Houses have two doors, one of which is only used to carry corpses out of the houses.
Ethnic groups of Madagascar
The number of ethnic groups of Madagascar has long been a point of contention and debate. The island of Madagascar is predominantly populated by people broadly classified as belonging to the broader Malagasy ethnic identity...
living on the south-eastern coast.
The Antaisaka speak a dialect of the Malagasy language
Malagasy language
Malagasy is the national language of Madagascar, a member of the Austronesian family of languages. Most people in Madagascar speak it as a first language as do some people of Malagasy descent elsewhere.-History:...
, which is a branch of the Malayo-polynesian language group
Malayo-Polynesian languages
The Malayo-Polynesian languages are a subgroup of the Austronesian languages, with approximately 385.5 million speakers. These are widely dispersed throughout the island nations of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean, with a smaller number in continental Asia...
derived from the Barito languages
Barito languages
The Barito languages are a score of Dayak languages of Borneo, and most famously Malagasy, the national language of Madagascar. They are named after the Barito River....
, spoken in southern Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
.
Their name means "people of the Sakalava
Sakalava
The Sakalava are an ethnic group of Madagascar numbering approximately 700,000 in population. Their name means "people of the long valleys." They occupy the Western edge of the island from Toliara in the south to Sambirano in the north. The Sakalava denominate a number of smaller ethnic groups...
," an ethnic group inhabiting the western coastal plains of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. They migrated to their current location from the west and the purported forefather of Antaisaka, Andriamandresy, is said to have been a Sakalava.
In the Antaisaka culture, it is taboo
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
for men to harvest rice, which is a women's duty. Houses have two doors, one of which is only used to carry corpses out of the houses.